Man United announce £29.4m transfer for Lecce left back Patrick Dorgu, who becomes Ruben Amorim’s second signing to strengthen his 3-4-3 system
Manchester United have confirmed the £29.4million signing of left wing-back Patrick Dorgu from Lecce.
Dorgu passed a medical on Saturday after United agreed a deal with the Italian club believed to be an initial £25.2million plus up to £4.2m in add-ons.
The 20-year-old Denmark international will sign a contract until June 30, 2030 with the option of an additional year subject to visa and registration.
Dorgu said: ‘I am incredibly proud to be able to call myself a Manchester United player; this is a very special day for my whole family.
‘I cannot wait to work with Ruben Amorim; his vision for this team and the future of the club is incredibly exciting. There is a clear plan set out for my development, and I feel that Manchester United is the perfect place to fulfil my potential and complete my huge ambitions.’
United’s technical director Jason Wilcox added: ‘Patrick is a really exciting talent; his strong defensive and attacking attributes, adaptability and work-rate will make him a key part of Ruben Amorim’s squad.
Manchester United have completed the signing of Patrick Dorgu from Lecce in a £29.4m deal
Dorgu becomes the first signing under Ruben Amorim and solves a problem position
He waved goodbye to Lecce fans at their match with Parma on Friday before flying to England
‘Patrick has had a superb start to his career, and at the age of just 20, we know he will continue to develop under the guidance of our excellent coaching team.
‘Patrick is the latest exciting young player that we have bought into the club. We believe that each of these talents has world-class potential and the ability to play a key role in achieving the success that everyone at Manchester United is striving for.’
The Red Devils have been keen to strengthen at left wing back, with Nuno Mendes at Paris Saint-Germain and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez having also been considered as options.
The position has proved problematic for Man United with Luke Shaw having been limited to just 98 minutes of football this season.
Amorim has often been forced to field Diogo Dalot as a makeshift left wing back since taking charge, due to Shaw and fellow left back Tyrell Malacia’s injury problems.
Denmark international Dorgu has started 21 of Lecce’s 23 Serie A games this season, including last Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at home by Inter Milan. He was an unused substitute in the 3-1 win over Parma on Friday.
That Inter result left Lecce just one point above the relegation zone – the Parma win helped them move three clear – and president Damiani made it clear that he does not want to damage the club’s survival chances by selling star players at this stage of the season. He has, though, been unable to prevent the move to United going through.
The 20-year old Dorgu is 6ft 2in tall and while he is expected to play as a left wing back for Man United, he has featured in numerous positions for Lecce this season.
Dorgu has started the majority of Lecce’s matches this season in their Serie A survival battle
Ruben Amorim had wanted to strengthen his side with a player who fits his philosophy
The Danish international looks set to be used as a left wing back in Amorim’s system
Dorgu has scored three goals this season, with the 20-year-old operating further forward
He is expected to compete with Luke Shaw, who has returned to first team training
The majority of his appearances this season have come as a right winger, while he has also featured at right and left back.
Dorgu had operated as a left back for the majority of last season, but was moved further forwards as the campaign developed.
He made his international debut for Denmark in September, scoring just 42 seconds after being introduced as a substitute against Switzerland.
Dorgu has since earned a further three caps for the national team.
He started out in his youth career at Copenhagen-based side Husum Boldklub before moving to Nordsjaelland’s youth academy.
In 2022 he signed for Lecce and a year later he was promoted to the senior team, making his debut in August 2023 in the Coppa Italia.
Since then he has gone on to establish himself as a first-team regular. He has started all but two of Lecce’s league games this season, with the other, apart from Friday, being missed being due to a red card.
